Quick Base to Expand Salt Lake Location
SALT LAKE CITY (May 9, 2019)— The Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED) today announced Quick Base to expand its operations in Utah adding 485 jobs and $6.2 million in new state revenue over the next five years.
“We are excited that Quick Base has selected Utah to open a second location,” Val Hale, executive director of the Governor’s Office of Economic Development. “Quick Base will expand their Utah facility with sales executive, customer success, solution engineering, marketing, software developer and customer care roles.”
Quick Base is a market leader in the customized application building space, with more than 5,400 customers, serving businesses of all sizes across every industry. Quick Base delivers a significant return on investment for customers, empowering users with the ability to create their own solutions that can streamline processes, track and analyze real-time data and create efficiencies in their own work and their company’s operations. The company, headquartered in Cambridge, MA, was acquired by Vista Equity Partners in April 2019 and currently has 359 employees.
"Salt Lake City has become a vibrant technology hub with an impressive pool of talent, which made it an obvious choice as we looked for locations for our second office," said Rick Willett, Quick Base CEO. "As companies across every industry continue to empower their employees with our application-building platform, we have added enhanced security, mobile access and a visual design tool to Quick Base. A second location in Salt Lake City and an increase in our headcount, will help us to further serve our customers across the U.S."
Quick Base plans to create up to 485 jobs in Utah over the next five years. The total wages in aggregate are required to exceed 110 percent of the average county wage. Projected new state wages over the life of the agreement may be up to $169,425,308. The projected state tax revenue is a result of corporate, payroll and sales tax.
“This project is exciting on so many fronts. For one thing, it’s bringing very high-paying jobs to our state, and for another, it’s highlighting that downtown Salt Lake City has a tech vibe to match any locale in our entire Silicon Slopes,” said Theresa Foxley, president and CEO of the Economic Development Corporation of Utah.”
Quick Base may earn up to 20 percent of the new state taxes they will pay over the five-year life of the agreement in the form of a post-performance Economic Development Finance (EDIF) tax credit rebate. As part of the contract with Quick Base, the GOED Board of Directors has approved an EDTIF post-performance tax credit not to exceed $1,257,983 representing 20 percent of the estimated $6,289,915 of new state revenue, which may be earned over five years. Each year Quick Base meets the criteria in its contract with the state, the company will earn a portion of the total tax credit rebate.
The Utah Legislature has authorized economic development incentives in the form of post-performance tax rebates. Eligible companies work with the Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Development to outline specific performance criteria. Once GOED confirms those criteria have been met.
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About the Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED)
business.utah.gov
Under the direction of Gov. Gary R. Herbert, the Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED) provides resources and support for business creation, growth and recruitment, and drives increased tourism and film production in Utah. Utilizing state resources and private sector contracts, GOED administers programs in economic areas that demonstrate the highest potential for development. Learn more at business.utah.gov or by calling (801) 538-8680.
About Quick Base
Quick Base provides a cloud-based platform that empowers problem solvers to quickly turn ideas for better ways to work into apps that make their organizations more efficient. For 20 years, people of all technical and non-technical backgrounds have been using the Quick Base platform to create solutions that streamline processes, capture real-time data, and improve company operations while working in concert with existing IT systems. Based in Cambridge, MA, Quick Base has thousands of customers spanning all industries and company sizes. For more information, please visit:www.QuickBase.com
=======================
LIZZY FARRALL
RELEASES BARBADOS EP
NEW SONG AND MUSIC VIDEO FOR
"GAMES" OUT NOW
PERFORMING AT SLAM DUNK MUSIC FESTIVAL
UPCOMING UK DATES WITH LIGHTS AND
AARON WEST AND
THE ROARING TWENTIES
TO TOUR THE STATES WITH EMAROSA
THIS SUMMER
May 9, 2019 - Birmingham, UK - Lizzy Farrall has released a new EP 'Barbados' today. Fans can now purchase or stream the EP on iTunes, Apple Music or Spotify. The Pure Noise Records signee has also released a new single and music video for "Games", which premiered yesterday on the Slam Dunk Festival official site. Fans can watch it now on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/6KKtwMuA8Mg
Earlier this year, Farrall released the single and music video for "Barbados" and toured the east coast with Four Year Strong, Microwave and Elder Brother.
The tracks on the 'Barbados' EP all have an unashamedly pop sensibility, centered around uplifting beats, shimmering synths and ultra-catchy choruses. That's a far cry from the more maudlin, acoustic guitar-based songs of her debut EP, 2018's All I Said Was Never Heard, but by paying attention to Farrall's lyrics and fans will realize that, actually, beyond her sound, not all that much has changed. For the EP, Farrall collaborated with Miles Kent (Catch Fire), Chris Curran (PVRIS, Handguns) and Anton Delost (Bearings, Seaway), as well as Brett Romnes (I Am The Avalanche), who recorded the EP at his Barbershop Studios in New Jersey.
The result is an audacious and beautiful, sad and inspiring EP that's full of spirit and which overflows with Farrall's spritely personality. More importantly, its five songs aren't afraid to infuse real life into pop music - or, perhaps, vice versa. It's perfect pop about an imperfect world, one that reveals - and, ultimately, revels in - the bruises we all endure from just being alive, but which always fade.
"Bruises aren't permanent," says Farrall. "They're just a little imperfection that'll appear now and then if you've hurt yourself. All I want to be able to is put out the music I want to put out and have people connect with it! Music is what has kept me alive for 22 years. It's the reason I stay happy and positive and as long as I can somehow be involved in it, music will continue to be my release."
Purchase or stream the 'Barbados' EP now on iTunes, Apple Music, Spotify or the official Pure Noise Records merch store.
Barbados EP Track Listing:
1. Games
2. Balloon
3. Barbados
4. Help
5. Make Up Sex
Upcoming show dates:
Tickets: http://www.lizzyfarrall.com/
May 17 - Wrexham, UK - Focus Wales 2019
*w/LIGHTS
May 21 - Manchester, UK - The Night and Day Café*
May 23 - London, UK - The Garage*
May 25 - Leeds, UK - Slam Dunk Festival
May 26 - Hatfield, UK - Slam Drunk Festival
May 27 - Bristol, UK - Thekla*
May 28 - Glasgow, UK - King Tut's Wah Wah Hut*
w/ Emarosa
June 6 - Lexington, KY - The Burl
June 7 - Chicago, IL - The Beat Kitchen
June 8 - Sioux Falls, SD - Icon Lounge and Events
June 11 - Colorado Springs, CO - Black Sheep
June 12 - Lawrence, KS - The Bottleneck
June 14 - Burnsville, MN - The Garage
June 15 - Milwaukee, WI - The Rave
June 16 - Des Moines, IA - Wooly's
June 18 - St. Louis, MO - Fubar
June 19 - Nashville, TN - The Basement East
June 21 - Indianapolis, IN - The Citadel
June 22 - Columbus, OH - Newport Music Hall
June 23 - Grand Rapids, MI - Elevation
June 25 - Buffalo, NY - Rec Room
June 26 - Poughkeepsie, NY - The Chance Theater
June 28 - Hartford, CT - The Webster
June 29 - Richmond, VA - The Canal Club
July 2 - Pawtucket, RI - The Met
July 3 - Amityville, NY - Revolution
July 5 - Reading, PA - Reverb
July 6 - Silver Spring, MD - The Fillmore Silver Spring
July 7 - Charlotte, NC - Amos' Southend
July 9 - Lake Park, FL - The Kelsey Theater
July 10 - Jacksonville, FL - 1904 Music Hall
July 12 - Pensacola, FL - Vinyl Music Hall
July 13 - Austin, TX - Empire Garage
July 16 - Tucson, AZ - 191 Toole
July 18 - Los Angeles, CA - El Rey
July 19 - Fresno, CA - Strummer's Bar & Grill
w/ Aaron West & The Roaring Twenties
Sept 24 - Manchester, UK - The Deaf Institute
Sept 25 - Glasgow, UK - King Tut's Wah Wah Hut
Sept 26- Leeds, UK - The Key Club
Sept 27 - London, UK - The Garage
Sept 28 - Southampton, UK - The Joiners
Lizzy Farrall is based in Birmingham, England. More new music is to come this year.
For more information: www.purenoise.net
Keep updated with Lizzy Farrall
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2AW5GVd
Website: http://www.lizzyfarrall.com/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/LizzyFarrallmusic
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LizzyFarrall
Instagram: www.instagram.com/lizzyfarrall
=====================
The Vaughns
Exclusively Stream Debut Album
FOMO
via BTRtoday
Listen HERE
Previously featured on Consequence of Sound, PopMatters, The Alternative,
NJ.com, and more
Springfield, NJ - May 9, 2019 - New Jersey indie-rockers, The Vaughns, are exclusively streaming their debut album, FOMO, via BTRtoday. Give it a spin, a day before its release, here: https://bit.ly/2DWSEIw.
The record is set to be released tomorrow, May 10, 2019, and will include singles "50%," "Shout, " "Santa Cruz" and more.
"This album is about the transition period between exiting college, and entering adulthood. We feel that these songs are a step up from our previous material, and could not be happier with how they were captured after spending countless hours in the studio," the band shares.
When introduced by mutual friends in 2014, David Cacciatore, Anna Lies, Ryan Kenter, and Tom Losito embarked on what would become a friendship, a family, and The Vaughns. Their 2015 EP, tomfoolery, was nominated for 3 Asbury Park Music Awards and featured on MTV Web series: The Brothers Green. Since 2016, NJ.com has consecutively listed them as an "NJ Band You Need To Hear," noting that their "dynamic and addictively fun sound is too good to leave out." With the 2017-2018 release of singles including "Santa Cruz" and "Coffee Sundae" the band received national attention from publications, such as Consequence of Sound, New Noise Magazine, and Atwood Magazine, and have since opened for artists like Japanese Breakfast, Tor Miller, Laura Stevenson, Aaron Carter, and Bad Bad Hats.
FOMO is set to release May 10, 2019. For more information, please visit https://www.thevaughns.com/.
FOMO Tracklisting:
01. Learning to Surf
02. Kowabunga
03. 50%
04. Shout
05. Coffee Sundae
06. TV
07. Bring Your Kids To Work Day
08. Santa Cruz
09. Bby Save Me
10. Stiff
11. July 4th
Upcoming Tour Dates:
May 17 - Asbury Park, NJ @ Asbury Park Brewery
May 18 - Burlington, VT @ Radio Bean
May 23 - New York, NY @ Arlene's Grocery
Jul 10 - New York, NY @ Bowery Electric
Jul 27 - Camden, NJ @ XPN Festival
###
The Vaughns are Anna Lies (vocals, guitar), David Cacciatore (guitar, backing vocals), Ryan Kenter (drums),and Tom Losito (bass, backing vocals).
For more information on The Vaughns:
Website: https://www.thevaughns.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheVaughnsnj/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/thevaughnsnj
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thevaughnsnj/
Thanks to 124 backers, we're 86% of the way toward our Kickstarter goal! We have until 10 a.m. MDT tomorrow to reach it. Will you help us get there? Your donation goes toward the publication of up-and-coming writers Zak Podmore and Ayja Bounous, whose books Confluence and Shaped by Snow explore issues of environmental justice and water in the West.
Listen to THP publisher Kirsten Johanna Allen on Utah Public Radio.
==========================
Is It Time to Join the Gig Economy? Why It's a Great Time
to Be a Consultant—and 15 Ways to Be a Successful One
Seismic changes in the workforce mean more and more companies need consultants. Elaine Biech shares tips for mastering the business side of this ever-more-popular way to make a living.
Hoboken, NJ (May 2019)—There's never been a better time to become a consultant. Why? It boils down to three words: the gig economy. According to the Workplace 2025 study released in 2017 by Randstad US, by 2025 a majority of the workforce will be employed in an agile capacity, as a consultant, contractor, temporary, or freelance employee. In fact, the report predicted that as early as this year, as much as 50 percent of the workforce will be comprised of agile workers.1
In other words, says Elaine Biech, if you have a skill to share with the world and you long to be your own boss, you're on the right side of economic history.
"There are two big trends that bring huge implications for consulting," says Biech, author of The New Business of Consulting: The Basics and Beyond (Wiley, May 2019, ISBN: 978-1-119-55690-9, $30.00) and its companion workbook, The New Consultant's Quick Start Guide: An Action Plan for Your First Year in Business (Wiley, April 2019, ISBN: 978-1-119-55693-0, $28.00). "First is the trend requiring organizations to be more agile, which means hiring more professionals to assist as needed rather than adding highly paid permanent staff.
"The second trend is that our rapidly changing world makes it almost impossible for any company to do it all," she adds. "A company needs to be knowledgeable about its industry, focused on customers, stay ahead of the competition—and to also know what to do when these factors collide in a negative way. Consultants help solve the puzzle." NOTE: See attached tipsheet.
There are many reasons why you might want to be a consultant. For example, technology makes it easier to empower people to work from anywhere, to connect with clients, close a million-dollar deal, or build a brand from their mobile phones. Also, an increasing number of consultants are not just surviving, but thriving, earning six- and even seven-figure incomes.
Yet while it's easy to print business cards, hang up a shingle, and say, "I'm a consultant!" it's not so easy to make a living doing so. Biech's book The New Business of Consulting shares the knowledge and skills required to start and grow a successful consulting practice. Just a few of its insights:
Don't believe the myths about consulting. Here are three: "I'll make a ton of money right away!" "I'll be free of office politics!" "I can enjoy more free time!" None are even remotely true. To refute them: 1. Even if you charge over $2,000 a day, and even if lots of business flows your way, expenses, taxes, benefits, etc. eat up a huge chunk of that money. 2. Nope. Now you have not one boss, but many. 3. Sorry...you'll be working 60 to 80 hours a week, at least, that first year.
Be aware that working alone can be hard for some people. You'll need to figure out your own solutions for the loneliness. For example, you can arrange to have lunch with someone once each week. You can plan to meet other consultants regularly. Even though discussion is likely to turn to work, you will still appreciate the camaraderie.
You can't rely on your area of expertise to be a successful consultant. Whether you are an expert in communication, leadership, cybersecurity, or artificial intelligence, you likely know your industry intimately. Most consultants do. But your expertise alone will not lead to your success. You need to know what it takes to run a business; you need to be an entrepreneur. How do you market your services? What do you say on a sales call? How do you manage cash flow? What taxes do you pay? You can't just print your business cards and wait for the phone to ring. It won't.
Take a test drive before you commit to being a full-time consultant. If you're not ready to take the plunge, you could consult part-time while keeping your present job. Some people use their vacation time and weekends to conduct small projects—with their employers' approval, of course. Part-time work will not give you the full flavor of what it will be like to be solely dependent upon consulting as a career, but it will give you an idea of whether or not you like the work.
Don't skip the planning process. Starting your consulting business without a solid plan is like driving in a foreign country when you are unable to speak the language and don't have a map or GPS! To get started, you'll need at least a business plan, a marketing plan, and a financial plan. You will need a roadmap to keep you focused and heading in the right direction. Not having one may be the costliest mistake you make.
Don't set your fees too low. Biech's book explains how to calculate your consulting fees to generate a comfortable salary and enough to cover business expenses. If you'd like to get an estimate without doing the calculations, the 3X rule is a good shortcut. For example, to earn a salary of $100,000, you will need to bill about $300,000 each year. Don't lowball yourself: It's easier to establish an appropriate salary when you launch than to increase it at a later time!
Hire the best accountant for your support team. This should be one of the first steps you take. Your accountant will provide advice as you make decisions about your business structure, accounting procedures, growth plans, and profitability. A great accountant will keep you in the black and out of trouble with the IRS (or whoever collects taxes in your country). Hire an accountant who educates, advises, and helps you grow your business.
Begin a testimonial file right away. Your clients will begin to rave about your work. Collect those statements. You may receive unsolicited thank-you letters or notes. Place them in a file. If clients compliment your work verbally, you may ask them to put it in writing. You will use these testimonials for brochure copy, in prospecting letters, or in proposals.
Go for the big fish. You'll spend just as much time baiting the hook. "When I started, I decided to focus on medium- to large-size businesses," notes Biech. "This was one of the best decisions I ever made. Large businesses make numerous training and consulting purchases in a year and may feel more comfortable taking a risk on a new consultant. And if you do a great job, you will have a better chance at repeat business—because they have more opportunities and larger budgets."
Look for low-budget ways to market yourself. There are a thousand ways to get in front of people with a small budget. Be creative. Serve on the board of your community college or a local charity. Conduct a survey, publish the results, and share them with clients. Write articles for your professional journal. Blog regularly. Send a card for atypical holidays: Thanksgiving, Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day, Groundhog Day, or Independence Day.
Plan for the worst-case scenario, but act as if you're living the best-case. The first message is practical: Don't spend your money until it's in your hands. The second is philosophical. It refers to the message you send to yourself and others. Believe that you will succeed (positive thinking is powerful) and make sure clients believe it too. NEVER hint that business is less than great.
Do all you can to win repeat business. Aim to bill 50 to 75 percent of your annual revenue from the previous year's clients. Experts estimate it takes 7 to 10 times the investment to sell to new clients. You don't want to be dependent on one or two large clients, and you still want to balance enough repeat business so that you are not constantly on a client hustle.
ALWAYS work to create the client's independence. You are not there to make clients dependent upon you, but to ensure that they receive the maximum return on their investment. A lasting impact occurs only if you ensure that the client has the competency required to sustain the changes you help them make. Before walking out the door, the great consultant ensures that the client owns the solutions. A great consultant inherently knows that this is the best way to be invited back.
Don't lower your rate because a client doesn't have a big enough budget. It's unethical. If you said your rate would be $15,500, and the client has only $10,500 in the budget, don't agree to do it for the lower amount. This is one of the ways that consultants gain a bad reputation. If you can do it for $10,500, why did you ask for $15,500? Does that mean that you had $5,000 worth of fat in the proposal? It will make a client question your ethics and the ethics of all consultants. (In her book, Biech shows you how to negotiate a fair price ethically.)
Put quality and your clients ahead of everything else—including profitability. The project will end; your relationship will not. You will learn from pricing mistakes and you will not make them again. Poor-quality service mistakes will follow you and your reputation for life. A project that goes in the red is a small price to pay for a lifetime reputation. You are only as good as your last client says you are. Set your standards high and never compromise them.
This list may be daunting, but don't be discouraged. Biech's book can give you the insights you need to navigate this new territory and gain confidence. While becoming a successful consultant does require a lot of old-fashioned hard work, if consulting is your passion, the effort is worth it.
"Don't let the fear of failure hold you hostage," advises Biech. "Try reframing your fear. Tell yourself you are doing what's right for you, that it is exciting and forward-leaning. You will be more successful by moving than stagnating, so find something you can do every day to move closer to your dream."
# # #
1. Heisler, K., Southhall, M., & Cardec, L. (2016, December 12). Randstad US study projects massive shift to agile employment and sta?ng model in the next decade. Randstad North America. Retrieved at https://www.randstadusa.com/about/news/randstad-us-study-projects-massive-shift-to-agile-employment-and-sta?ng-model-in-the-next-decade/.
# # #
10 Reasons Why Companies Need Consultants
Excerpted from The New Business of Consulting: The Basics and Beyond
(Wiley, May 2019, ISBN: 978-1-119-55690-9, $30.00) by Elaine Biech
Thinking of becoming a consultant? Elaine Biech says there has never been more opportunity than there is right now. Here, from a client perspective, are 10 reasons why consulting is a profitable $250 billion industry (and growing) and why companies need consultants:
1. Lack of expertise. The skills necessary for the growing and changing needs of an organization are not available inside the organization. Therefore, organizations turn to consultants to complete projects or solve problems.
2. Lack of time. Even when the skills are available in the organization, staff members may not have the time to complete special projects or research. A consultant can be a part of the organization just long enough to complete what needs to be done.
3. Lack of experience. Certain professions are experiencing a shortage of trained employees. Consultants can fill in until demand is met by training or hiring new employees.
4. Staffing flexibility. Consultants can be brought in for the short term to complete a project. When the work is completed, the organization can terminate the relationship easily and quickly without severance pay or other obligations.
5. Objective outside opinions. Consultants usually provide fresh perspectives. Outsiders can look at a problem in a new, unbiased way.
6. New ideas. Consultants bring with them ideas from other firms and industries. This cross-pollination is a surefire way to tap into many resources. Staff members may be too close to the problem to see a new solution.
7. Speed and efficiency. Hiring a consultant who has experienced the same type of project in the past at other locations may be faster and more cost-effective than bringing staff members up to speed.
8. Assessment. A consultant can provide an objective assessment, define the problem, and make recommendations.
9. Resolution. In the case of a merger or another change of organizational structure, an outside consultant can act as an independent mediator to resolve differences.
10. Compliance. An organization may require proof of complying with legal expectations. Hiring a consultant shows that an effort is being made to correct a problem.
# # #
About the Author:
Elaine Biech is the author of The New Business of Consulting: The Basics and Beyond. She is a dedicated lifelong learner who believes that excellence isn't optional. As a consultant, trainer, and president of ebb associates for more than 35 years, she helps global organizations to work through large-scale change and leaders to maximize their effectiveness. She has published 85 books, including the Washington Post #1 bestseller The Art and Science of Training. She is the recipient of numerous professional awards and accolades, including ATD's inaugural CPLP Fellow Honoree, ISA's Broomfield Award, and Wisconsin's Women Entrepreneur's Mentor Award. Elaine, a consummate professional, has been instrumental in leading the talent development profession during most of her career and has served on several boards, including ASTD, CCL, ISA, and others. She is a designer and facilitator for the online course "How to Build Your Successful Training Consulting Business" and has been featured in publications such as the Wall Street Journal, Harvard Management Update, Investor's Business Daily, and Fortune.
Customizing all of her work for individual clients, she conducts strategic planning sessions and is particularly adept at turning dysfunctional teams into productive ones. As a management consultant, trainer, and designer, she provides services globally to public- and private-sector organizations to prepare them for the challenges of the future.
For more information, please visit www.elainebiech.com.
About the Books:
The New Business of Consulting: The Basics and Beyond (Wiley, May 2019, ISBN: 978-1-119-55690-9, $30.00) and its companion workbook, The New Consultant's Quick Start Guide: An Action Plan for Your First Year in Business (Wiley, April 2019, ISBN: 978-1-119-55693-0, $28.00), are available at bookstores nationwide, from major online booksellers, and direct from the publisher by calling 800-225-5945. In Canada, call 800-567-4797. For more information, please visit the book's page and the workbook's page on www.wiley.com.
=======================
Dear Editor:
Please consider this timely warning piece from veteran journalist Robert Koehler, looking at the potentially disastrous confluence of war profiteering, Trump loyalists, Venezuela, and threatened invasion. For PeaceVoice, thank you,
Tom Hastings
~~~~~~~~~~~
WHAT’S NEXT: WAR WITH VENEZUELA?
By Robert C. Koehler
1061 words
Mix a little socialism in with the oil and war may be unavoidable.
Thus, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, talking about Venezuela: “The president has been crystal clear and incredibly consistent. Military action is possible. If that’s what’s required, that’s what the United States will do.”
He goes on, demonstrating how we lie about war in the 21st century: “We’re trying to do everything we can to avoid violence. We have asked all the parties involved not to engage in that kind of activity. We’d prefer a peaceful transition of government there, where (President Nicolas) Maduro leaves and a new election is held. But the president has made clear, in the event that there comes a moment — and we’ll all have to make decisions about when that moment is, and the president will ultimately have to make that decision — he is prepared to do that, if that’s what’s required.”
With our trillion dollar military budget, threatening (and waging) war is pretty much the only thing we know how to do as a nation, and by “we” I mean the ones in control, publicly and/or secretly — the ones whose egos have expanded to the size of the nation, who mean themselves when they say “that’s what the United States will do.” There’s something about “becoming” a nation that allows you to value your so-called interests far more than you value life — a monstrous paradox to which the whole planet is hostage.
So we have oil-rich, socialist Venezuela on the verge of economic and social collapse, partly due to the corruption and incompetence of the Maduro government but very much helped along by the sanctions the United States has imposed on the country for the past two years, for the purpose of ousting Maduro and regaining political and corporate control over the defiant nation.
The sanctions are for the country’s own good, of course, according to Trump, who lamented on Fox (quoted on Democracy Now!): “It’s a terrible thing. People are starving. People are dying. There’s no food. There’s no water. It’s just a terrible situation. . . . And we’re doing everything we can do, short of, you know, the ultimate.”
Presumably “the ultimate” is war — military invasion — but sanctions are a form of war and they cause precisely the sort of harm Trump anguished over in his fake spew of empathy for the people of Venezuela.
According to a study by economists Mark Weisbrot and Jeffrey Sachs, published in April by the Center for Economic and Policy Research, the sanctions, having reduced the availability of food, medicine and other necessities of life, have so far caused an estimated 40,000 deaths, with many more likely to come.
“Venezuela’s economic crisis is routinely blamed all on Venezuela,” Sachs said. “But it is much more than that. American sanctions are deliberately aiming to wreck Venezuela’s economy and thereby lead to regime change. It’s a fruitless, heartless, illegal and failed policy, causing grave harm to the Venezuelan people.”
Too bad. U.S. interests are at stake here. And if sanctions don’t do the trick — which is to say, produce a cooperative leader, “the ultimate” may be necessary, whatever that may mean. Of course, the U.S. has pursued the ultimate throughout the Middle East and Africa during the 21st century, virtually to no apparent benefit even to its stated interests or “mission,” which raises the possibility that the only one really in control here is war itself, and war’s silent, corporate beneficiaries.
But we interrupt these words for an important message. Maybe the (eventual) war in Venezuela could be privatized!
According to Reuters: “Erik Prince — the founder of the controversial private security firm Blackwater and a prominent supporter of U.S. President Donald Trump — has been pushing a plan to deploy a private army to help topple Venezuela’s socialist president.”
Prince, brother of Trump’s secretary of education, Betsy DeVos, was, as Reuters put it, “a pioneer in private military contracting during the Iraq war, when the U.S. government hired Blackwater primarily to provide security for State Department operations there.” Alas, Blackwater crashed and burned in 2007, when several of Prince’s mercenaries murdered 17 civilians in Baghdad, creating all sorts of bad publicity for his operation.
A lesser businessman might have given up, but not Prince, who has never stopped looking for ways to profit from national conflicts. His latest plan, for which he is traveling the world seeking funding and support, is to put 4,000 to 5,000 mercenaries at the disposal of Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido, who will, according to the logic of war, need his own army in order to claim power.
The Reuters story adds, somewhat perplexingly: “One of Prince’s key arguments, one source said, is that Venezuela needs what Prince calls a ‘dynamic event’ to break the stalemate that has existed since January.”
This is essentially what Pompeo was saying: “But the president has made clear, in the event that there comes a moment . . .”
War needs a trigger, something that ignites public support. Or maybe that’s putting it too dramatically. War needs an excuse.
Here’s one possibility, as described by Medea Benjamin, who writes about the struggle for control over the Venezuelan embassy in Washington, D.C., which was evacuated by its diplomats after the U.S. broke diplomatic ties with the Maduro government: “Determined to avoid another war, a group of U.S. peace activists sought and received permission from the legitimate Venezuelan government to form an Embassy Protection Collective. Since April 15, a group has been living in the Embassy, sleeping on couches and floors, while outside supporters have been providing supplies and joining them for meals and educational events.”
However, as of May 1, Guiado supporters — aided by the Secret Service, whose job is to protect the embassies — have surrounded the building and prevented food and medical supplies from reaching those inside, in an effort to occupy the embassy themselves.
“The inflammatory act of handing over the Venezuelan Embassy to Guiado supporters would also have the potential to dramatically escalate the conflict between the United States and Venezuela,” Benjamin writes. “If the Trump administration were to allow this, the Maduro government would likely reciprocate by taking over the U.S. embassy. This could be just what warhawks John Bolton and Elliot Abrams are looking for as a justification for a U.S. military intervention.”
And war would find another excuse to perpetuate itself.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~end~~~~~~~~~~
Robert Koehler, syndicated by PeaceVoice, is a Chicago award-winning journalist and editor. His book, Courage Grows Strong at the Wound is available. Contact him at koehlercw@gmail.com or visit his website at commonwonders.com.
===========================
ALZHEIMER'S CARE FACILITY ALLOWED WHITE RESIDENTS TO SUBJECT BLACK RESIDENT TO RACIST VERBAL AND PHYSICAL ABUSE, AND THEN ILLEGALLY EVICTED HIM IN VIOLATION OF THE FAIR HOUSING ACT
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Today, the Disability Law Center (DLC), Utah's Protection & Advocacy Agency for people with disabilities, and the only private fair housing enforcement agency in the state, filed a race discrimination lawsuit in federal district court on behalf of a 62 year old black man who was subjected to discriminatory treatment and retaliation by an Alzheimer's care facility in violation of the federal Fair Housing Act (FHA).
Ronald Harrell ("Ron") has lived with Alzheimer's since 2012. Before his diagnosis, he spent more than 30 years of his professional life working for the state of Utah, helping troubled youth navigate the juvenile justice system and encouraging them to pursue productive lives. By all reports, Ron is also a gentle, devoted husband and father, and long-time member of Salt Lake's Calvary Baptist Church. Ron's big heart and compassion extends beyond his family: one of his proudest moments was in 2005 when Governor Huntsman awarded him a special honor for being Utah's liaison with the Hurricane Katrina victims relocated to Utah. He spent several months at Camp Williams with the hundreds of Katrina refugees ensuring they were safe, warm, and cared for. When Ron's Alzheimer's advanced to the stage where around-the-clock care became necessary, his family shopped around and settled on what seemed the perfect place: Pheasant Run Alzheimer's Special Care Center ("Pheasant Run") in South Jordan, Utah. Ron moved into Pheasant Run in mid-March 2018.
In April 2018, a white Pheasant Run resident who had been seen physically assaulting Ron the previous month began to loudly and repeatedly refer to Ron as "the nigger" in front of staff and other residents. Though Pheasant Run staff and administration were aware of this outrageous racial abuse, no plans were developed or implemented to de-escalate conflicts caused by the white resident's language, or to attempt any protective intervention of any kind. In fact, Pheasant Run's solution to this racist and hostile environment was to find some reason-any reason-to evict Ron from the facility, rather than protect him from the ongoing abuse.
The plan concocted by Pheasant Run administration was cruel, reliant on offensive racial stereotypes, and most egregiously, based on lies. Pheasant Run administrators cynically recognized our sad reality that in order to forcibly remove a black man from a place he's not wanted-even his own home-one can simply call the police and convey false information suggesting some risk to public safety. And this is exactly what they did. Records subsequently obtained by the DLC from South Jordan City Police and responding EMTs show that Pheasant Run staff informed the EMT responders that Mr. Harrell had been assaulting residents (false); that he was experienced in martial arts training (false); and that he had a history of methamphetamine use (false). These statements were lies, and Pheasant Run knew it.
Based on these racist fabrications, police and EMTs responded with aggression: forcefully restraining him to a gurney and transporting him to the Intermountain Medical Center (IMC) Emergency Room (ER). Ron was scared and confused, and baffled as to why he had been forcibly removed from his home by men in uniforms. IMC's security team, likely acting on the same false information conveyed to the EMTs and police, approached Ron in an aggressive manner. Not knowing what was happening, Ron was terrified and tried to defend himself from the second "take down" of this very frightening day. When Mrs. Harrell finally found her husband on the evening of April 10, 2018, he was bruised, naked, shivering, covered in urine, and huddled in the corner of a hospital room at IMC. He was disoriented and distressed, and suffered a severe cognitive decline as a result of these traumatizing events.
Among a litany of violations under federal law, Pheasant Run failed to fulfill its obligations under the Fair Housing Act (FHA) to protect Ron from racial harassment. Pheasant Run also failed to provide services to Ron equal to those provided to white residents. Pheasant Run denied Ron housing on the basis of his race and color, and ultimately retaliated against Ron because he objected to being called a "nigger" in his own home--- both egregious violations of the FHA.
It is also worth reflecting on the fact that even though Ron has Alzheimer's and may not remember these humiliating, hurtful, and outrageous civil rights violations with the same excruciating clarity that others might, this fact does not make them less damaging. It makes them more damaging, because Ron was a vulnerable person entrusted to Pheasant Run's care. It literally adds insult to injury-- and it will not be tolerated. In order to achieve some measure of justice for Ron and his family, and to send a clear message that racial discrimination in housing is illegal in this country, the DLC has filed this lawsuit in the U.S. District Court of Utah.
The Disability Law Center is a private non-profit organization. The DLC's mission is to enforce and strengthen laws that protect the opportunities, choices and legal rights of Utahns with disabilities. Our services are available statewide and free of charge, regardless of income, legal status, language, or place of residence.
